Baking & Pastry Equipment Tips

Sometimes there are seemingly obvious tips and tricks that we know about baking and pastry equipment that might be really helpful for others. I know when I was developing a brand new baking and pastry arts class, I knew nothing about commercial baking and every tip and “obvious fact” was hard to come by. So here is a list I’d like you all to contribute to so we can make it easier for new teachers.

Ideas for Teaching Safety in Child Development

Child proofing is essential to a house or day care center when little ones are involved. It’s amazing what little ones can get into once they become keeping kids safemobile. You’ll want to make sure you’re taking every precaution to keep your little one’s environment safe. Trying to decide what to teach about the safety of children can be difficult as all of the topics are important.

Navigating the Brain

The brain is fascinating to teach but simplifying it down to a level that high school students will grasp can be difficult as it can be a little overwhelming. I have been teaching this topic for years as I am the only teacher and department in my building to teach about the brain…Woo Hoo! The lessons and activities included are tried and true and have been tweaked and revised as I find new ways to teach this material. So if you’ve always wanted to teach about the brain in your child development class, challenge your dendrites to learn something new and give it a try!

Cake Decorating Unit

There are lots of cake decorating classes students can take at the local craft store so I thought I was off the hook when it came to cake decorating, but my students begged me so I gave in. I didn’t want it to be so complex and more of an overview so I planned a week (3 blocks) of instruction with practice then I had them work on their own cake for another 3 blocks and present the final results. In fact there was so much excitement from this unit, students actually came to class early. Ha!

Popcorn: “Pop”pourri of Activities

This classic, fun food has been around for over 5000 years, transforms itself into snowflake and mushroom shapes, goes from un-edible to edible when exposed to heat, makes noise and is celebrated every January 19th!  You got it…it’s POPCORN!  These…

The Life of a T-Shirt: NPR Planet Money Inspired Lesson

I don’t know about your experience but in mine I’ve found that  high schoolers tend to think they know everything. So I just LOVE to teach lessons that make them unusually quiet, sitting on the edge of their seats soaking…